WASHINGTON (CNS) -- During
what the Roman Missal describes as the "mother of all vigils," the
U.S. Catholic Church welcomed thousands of new Catholics at the Easter Vigil April
15 in churches big and small across the country.

About 60 of the nearly
200 dioceses in the United States reported numbers of catechumens and
candidates entering the church in 2017 to the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops in Washington.

Catechumens receive the
sacraments of initiation -- baptism, confirmation and first Communion -- during
the Easter Vigil, having prepared for this moment through the Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults. Candidates, who are already baptized, also go through the
preparation program to receive confirmation and first Communion to enter full
communion with the church.

The Archdiocese of Los
Angeles, the largest diocese in the United States, welcomed 1,756 catechumens
and 938 candidates, while the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston reported 1,667
catechumens and 708 candidates. The Archdiocese of Seattle had 679 catechumens
and 409 candidates, the Archdiocese of Miami had 524 catechumens and 214
candidates, and the Archdiocese of Washington reported 483 catechumens and 698
candidates.

Not far behind was the
Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, which reported 387 catechumens and 528
candidates.

The Tablet, Brooklyn's
diocesan newspaper, said that the numbers of new Catholics entering the
church and those seeking full communion in the church were so staggering
that the diocese had to hold two different ceremonies for the Rite of
Election in early
March.

On Holy Saturday, at the
Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Brooklyn, the
"greatest and most noble of all solemnities" took a little longer
than usual this year. In addition to the dramatic symbols of light and the seven
Old Testament readings, 52 catechumens and 25 candidates were welcomed into the church.

"Now that I am an adult,
I better understand my call to faith. I have a responsibility to cooperate with
my faith in God," said Kari
Morales, a native of Mexico, who was joining the church at Easter. "I've heard
a lot of misconceptions about the church," added Morales, a psychologist
at a public school. "There's a lot of negativity out there. The period of
preparation opened my eyes to the truth."

In the Diocese of
Rochester, New York, the RCIA involvement of Dan and Michaela Cady -- along
with their sons Aidan, 15, Solas, 12, and Merritt, 10 -- was spurred by a
family tragedy. Two years ago, their daughter and sister Kennis, then 12, died
unexpectedly.

"It just turned our
heads about life," Dan Cady said. He added that his family was grateful
for the support it received from the staff of St. Jerome Parish in East
Rochester, and from there opted to pursue RCIA. Dan said he was confident
that his daughter was watching over the family as they continue on their faith
journey.

"We would like to
think it's orchestrated by her," he said. Some of the family members received
the sacraments this year, and others will next year. Overall, the Diocese of
Rochester this year reported 96 catechumens and 149 candidates.

Elsewhere in New York
state, the Diocese of Rockville Centre reported 232 catechumens and 327
candidates; the Diocese of Buffalo had 56 catechumens and 105 candidates; and
the Diocese of Syracuse had 49 catechumens and 70 candidates.

Jarrid Perusse of Most
Precious Blood Parish in Oviedo, Florida, said that while he was in Orlando,
Florida, he "got saved on a porch" during a summer internship as a door-to-door
salesman. He realized that God was reaching out to him, and "it was my turn to
start reaching back," Perusse said.

In the Diocese of Grand Rapids,
Michigan, 175 catechumens and 249 candidates received the sacraments. Among
them, Mac, 90, and Barb Harless, 85, joined the church this Easter after
finding their parish, St. John Paul II Church in Cedar Springs, Michigan, to be
a source of prayer, peace and hope during Barb's battle with cancer.

Other archdioceses reported the
following totals: Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 201 catechumens and
623 candidates; Archdiocese of Philadelphia, 235 catechumens and 322
candidates; Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky, 227 catechumens and 279
candidates; Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, 290 catechumens and 368 candidates;
Archdiocese of San Francisco, 174 catechumens and 207 candidates; Archdiocese
of Newark, New Jersey, 499 catechumens and 693 candidates; and the Archdiocese
of Dubuque, Iowa, 63 catechumens and 94 candidates.

In California, the Diocese of
Stockton welcomed 284 candidates and 532 catechumens; the Diocese of Oakland,
176 catechumens and 376 candidates; the Diocese of San Diego, 333 catechumens
and 635 candidates; the Diocese of Fresno, 593 catechumens and 56 candidates;
and the Diocese of San Jose, 496 catechumens and candidates.

In Florida, the Diocese of St.
Petersburg had 456 catechumens and 514 candidates; the Diocese of Orlando, 586
catechumens and candidates; and the Diocese of Palm Beach, 147 catechumens and
474 candidates.

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